Owen Hart's Death

Owen, the youngest son of the legendary Hart wrestling family, was probably destined to be a pro wrestler from the start.... born in 1966, Owen began training to wrestle shortly after completing high school. He was trained in the Dungeon by his father, Stu, and made his pro wrestling debut in 1986 in Stu's Stampede Wrestling territory.

When that 1988 Japanese tour was up, Owen returned to North America to find that the WWF had grown interested in his immense in-ring skills. In an era when the WWF was dominated by super-heavyweights and often oafish bodybuilders. His name was the Blue Blazer. After those days, he teamed up with his family, Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Jim "The Anvil", and The British Bulldog, to form The Hart Foundation. He had one of the greatest careers, and surely had one ahead of him. But....

Owen tragically lost his life at Over the Edge, May 23, 1999. As the Blue Blazer, he should have made the entrance like a super hero from the ceiling, but the cable he was connected to either broke or became disconnected and he fell 50 feet into the ring, his head hit a turnbuckle and snapped back. Owen was given CPR in the ring and taken to hospital, where he was declared dead due to cardiac arrest.

The next day at Raw is War all the wrestlers paid tribute to their friend Owen Hart, by telling their stories, many of them were also wearing a black band around their arm which read OH or Owen. They clearly stated that Owen was respected and loved and that he will be missed.

We sends our condolences and sympathy to the entire Hart family. Owen is survived by his wife Martha and two children, Oje and Athena. Owen, you will never be forgotten. We will always remember you as a great wrestler and entertainer.

The following is an article from the Associated Press:
Wrestler killed in fall during WWF event
By KIA SHANT'E BREAUX -- The Associated Press
Sunday, May 23, 1999

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- A World Wrestling Federation wrestler was fatally injured Sunday when he fell 50 feet into the ring as he was lowered from the ceiling of the arena -- stunning the sold-out crowd that initially thought the accident was a stunt.

Owen Hart, 33, hit his head on a turnbuckle. Hart, who wrestles under the nickname ``Blue Blazer,'' was given CPR in the ring in front of the audience at Kemper Arena and then taken to a nearby hospital.

It wasn't immediately clear how Hart fell, but witnesses said the cable he was connected to either broke or became disconnected. The WWF said it was investigating.

``We thought it was a doll at first,'' said 15-year-old Robert McCome. ``We thought they were just playing with us. We were really shocked when we found out that it was no joke.''

Briannen Wilbanks, 20, said ``he came down on some type of cable or rope. He was supposed to swing down but somehow he fell.''

Commentator Jim Ross repeated over and over to the 14,000 fans in the arena that Hart's fall was not scripted, as professional wrestling matches openly are.

``I didn't see it, but from what I can gather, somebody slipped up,'' said his father Stu Hart, an old-time wrestler.

``You don't get up 60 or 70 feet in the air without being properly anchored down,'' he said, adding that his son had performed the stunt with the wire before.

The event was televised live on pay-per-view and seen around the country. However, the fall was not shown. The TV audience was being shown a montage of Hart's clips when the accident occurred and the camera panned through the crowd while paramedics worked on Hart.

The show stopped for 15 minutes then the remainder of the matches continued after he was taken away by paramedics.

Hart's fall happened in the second part of the event called ``Over the Edge.'' The first part of the event, ``Sunday Night Heat,'' was televised live on the USA network.

``We at the WWF are saddened by the tragic accident that occurred here tonight,'' Vince McMahon Jr., chairman of WWF, said at a news conference. ``We don't have any answer as to why this happened. ... There is an ongoing investigation.''

He declined to comment further.

Shawn Gaitan, 24, who brought his 7-year-old nephew to the event, said: ``I think it's really messed up that they kept on with the show. They could at least told us what was going on. We worry just like the other people worry.''

Gaitan said he saw Hart flying through the air; his head hit a turnbuckle and snapped back.

Hart, a native of Calgary, Alberta, is the younger brother of World Championship Wrestling wrestler Bret ``The Hitman'' Hart. He was the youngest of 12 children. Survivors also include his wife, Martha, and two young children.

Condolences
The Hart family asks that instead of sending flowers that you please send donations to:

For those of you who care to send your condolences to the Hart family, please address them to:

The Hart Family
435 Patina Place SW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T3H 2P5

Or, E-Mail your thoughts and condolences to:

OwenHart@Stampedewrestling.com

Quotes
"I'm not going to get into the details of this accident as I really don't care to know them, all I know is that a friend is gone. Never mind the fact that Owen was a great guy. Never mind the fact that Owen was one of the greatest wrestlers the world has ever seen. Never mind the fact that he was one of the reasons I wanted to become a wrestler. Never mind that I went to the Hart Bros. Pro Wrestling camp, in hopes of meeting and training with him. All that matters is that Owen Hart is gone, never to entertain or make us smile again. This was a terrible senseless accident and it puts everything into perspective. Contract disputes, minor injuries, lack of a push, don't mean squat when you compare them to a family who will never see their father again. God bless you Owen Hart. I know I will always respect and never forget you." -Chris Jericho

"I don't know where to begin. Owen was a great friend and impressive fellow worker. Five months into the new year and already so many close friends have passed on and to have it happen simply because of a faulty harness is just so tragic and unbelievable that I am almost at a loss of words. I do want to say that my deepest sympathy and support go out to the Hart family and to the people that loved Owen. He is and always will be in the minds and heart of my family. We did lots of road trips together and he was a guy that could keep you smiling no matter how bad it was. He had a way to keep all around him going and smiling no matter how down things seemed to get. He had a unique and special way about him to bring a smile and overall brightness to all situations. I really still cannot believe this... I miss him and wish I was able to have told him how much he meant to us. We were around the same age and we did many things together. I will miss you my friend. And, to the Hart family, I'm so sorry for your tragic loss. Owen was a great guy. A great wrestler. And one hell of a father. I'm sorry I can't finish this now. I will write more later after I am able to collect my thoughts... I still cannot believe this. He was my dear friend and a beloved family man. Owen, our loss is the heaven's gain. God bless and eternal peace, my friend." -Samu of Headshrinkers

"...Owen probably was one of the best human beings I have ever met. I know his family meant everything to him. I can only imagine the grief they are going through right now..." -Kevin Nash

"A horrible tragedy occurred at the Over The Edge pay-per-view on Sunday. Owen Hart was about to be lowered down from the ceiling to the ring for his appearance as the super hero-like Blue Blazer. He apparently thought that the harness which was to hold him was attached but was not.

Owen, 33, fell about fifty feet to the floor. He hit his head on the turnbuckle and then the ring. He was given CPR in the ring and was then rushed to a Kansas City hospital where he was pronounced dead. The AP released the following quote from Titan Sports/WWF Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Vince McMahon. "We at the WWF are saddened by the tragic accident that occurred here tonight. We don't have any answer as to why this happened ... There is an ongoing investigation."

Fortunately, the deadly accident was not caught on camera and the WWF had the good judgement and taste to refrain from shooting the ring with their television cameras. The WWF told the fans watching the live telecast that the accident had happened, and later on, Jim Ross informed us that Owen had died.
It is with overwhelming grief and pain that everyone involved with ECW sends condolences and prayers to the Hart family that has given so much to wrestling." -Joey Styles

"On behalf of my family, I want to express my deepest sympathy to the family of Owen Hart. I have been a part of the Hart family ever since Stu Hart welcomed my brother Sika and me into his home back in the early 70s. I watched the Hart children grow up and I was I was always so proud of Owen. I often said that he was never given the chance to show how truly talented he was. My prayers go out to his wife, children, mother, father and the whole Hart family. Owen will be greatly missed as a friend and as one of the great athletes who dedicated his life to making his fans happy. May you rest in peace and be with God." -Afa The Wild Samoan